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eTN Hero: Cordelia Igel, team leader at Vox Restaurant, Grand Hyatt Hotel Berlin

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Many of us traveling around the globe on business have travel stories to tell. I spend more than 100 fully-paid nights every year in Hyatt Hotels around the world. Doing this, you get to know a brand more closely.

I am collecting my own list of heroes and honoring each of them eTN Heroes. You cannot buy eTN Heroes, and this title is a publisher’s recommendation based on personal experience.

I realize there are so many heroes in the hospitality industry and even more in the rest of the travel and tourism industry, so my personal experience is only a very small token of well-deserved recognition.

Today, I would like to introduce Cordelia Igel, a senior team leader at Vox Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt, Berlin, Germany as the latest eTN Hero.

Travelers like me experience hotels as a second home. When something doesn’t make sense, I am always outspoken and hope my criticism is heard. I want the businesses that cater to my travel to do well.

Loving my espresso every day is a passion many fellow travelers share. For me, it doesn’t make sense when international hotels cannot see that good espresso is a major selling point. For me, it’s a major buying point when selecting a hotel.

For example, I stopped staying at the Marriott Newark Airport where the Starbucks in this hotel is only open from 6 am to 10 am.

It boggles my mind because people come in 24 hours a day because after all, it’s an airport hotel.

With travelers arriving or leaving this hotel don’t always go by Eastern Standard time.

A good cup of coffee becomes as important as a good bed or a hot shower.

The same goes for food. I select hotels where I can get my breakfast, lunch, or dinner 24/7 because my body time clock is not always synchronized with the time in the destination.

Mistakes happen, especially when you’re jetlagged. One of the worst was when I picked up a suitcase that belonged to another passenger in Tokyo after arriving from Abu Dhabi and showed up at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo with the wrong luggage. Takashi Kai, Assistant Manager at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, was my first eTN Hero that day and managed this impossible and frustrating situation for me.

Here why I am so thankful to Cordelia Igel, the senior team leader at Vox Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, my latest eTN Hero.

In March during ITB  I stayed at the hotel for 8 nights.

The hotel has a fantastic breakfast and a great pool/gym area along with a very central and exciting location close to Potsdamer Platz.

Rooms are a little small and average in Berlin, but acceptable. I may have been spoiled. I stayed at the Hyatt Haus Duesseldorf before arriving in Berlin during the same trip and also one night at the Park Hyatt Hamburg and loved my apartment and hotel suite. My apartment at Duesseldorf Hyatt Haus was over the top – washer, dryer, living room, bedroom, and an outside patio with a million dollar view, and enough space to entertain 100 people.

Here is why Cordelia at the Grand Hyatt Berlin is my hero. Attending a very busy trade show is always a challenge when managing a busy scheduled and sleep. My morning espresso is of utmost importance. In the past, when staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, I went to Starbucks across the street from the hotel, but this year, Starbucks was no longer there.

What were my options? As a Globalist member in the Hyatt loyalty program, my breakfast is always included. Hyatt Germany is not one of the hotels forcing Globalists to take their breakfast only in the Club lounge.

The continental breakfast at the Hyatt Grand Clun is usually not comparable with the wide variety of food found at VOX restaurant.

So everything was perfect in the morning, right? Wrong!

When trying the Club lounge espresso, I should have known it wasn’t up to my standards as it was served from a push-button machine. However, not all Grand Clubs are the same. At the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Korea the Espresso machine is the best I found in the Hyatt system so far.

At the Grand Hyatt Berlin, when dining in the hotel’s 5-star restaurant VOX, a 3-star espresso is served from a push-button machine.

When I asked the lead server, Cordelia, why they are serving such a superb breakfast and offer only a push button machine-made espresso she offered a solution.

The only good espresso machine in the hotel not using push-buttons was at the hotel bar. Cordelia went to the hotel bar and personally hand-crafted a cup of real espresso for me. She also managed to bring it back within one minute after pouring. Magical!

Every morning after that, Ms. Igel knew what to do. And for that extra touch of service and not hesitating a second to go above and beyond, Vielen Dank Frau Igel, you are my eTN Hero today.

 

 

 

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

IGLTA honors ITB Berlin for its commitment to LGBT+ travel segment

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The reward for promoting awareness and acceptance of the LGBT+ Community in the global tourism industry: at the Annual Global Convention, which will take place from 24 to 27 April at the Hilton Midtown New York City, the International LGBT+ Travel Association (IGLTA) will present ITB Berlin with the Vanguard Award.

Every year, together with the IGLTA Foundation (www.iglta.org/The-IGLTA-Foundation), the public charity subsidiary of the IGLTA, the directors’ board presents the IGLTA Honors. The recipients are individuals, companies or organizations who have improved relations within the tourism community and raised awareness of LGBT+ travel around the world. The LGBT Travel Pavilion of ITB Berlin celebrated its debut back in 2010, and since then has become a highly-regarded role model for the presentation of the gay and lesbian travel segment at an international travel show. In addition to the extensive display area with its own conference venue, supporting events such as the LGBT+ Media Brunch, networking events, informative lectures, the LGBT+ ITB Convention Seminar – which since 2 years also includes the bestowal of an ITB Pioneer Award -, and, as of this year the International LGBT+ Leadership Summit, attract many visitors.

ITB’s commitment has made it possible to also position this segment at ITB Asia in Singapore and organize international ITB Academies on this topic as recently in Malta and Japan.

”ITB Berlin is proud to occupy a pioneering role in this important subject, and to be the recipient of such a prestigious award for its continuing efforts to promote international recognition of LGBT+ travel“, said Rika Jean-François, CSR officer of ITB Berlin and responsible for this segment. ”What began as a few community pioneers exhibiting here and there around ITB Berlin has over the years become a recognized platform. Together with our partner Diversity Tourism we have created a globally unique forum.“

”We have got to the point now where at ITB Berlin we have created one of the liveliest and most diverse LGBT+ Travel Pavilions possible, with exhibitors and people taking part in discussion rounds from around the world“, is how Thomas Bömkes, LGBT+ consultant for ITB Berlin and Managing Director of Diversity Tourism GmbH described this market’s rising prospects. Rika Jean-François added: ”This award will give us the strength to continue defending LGBT+ travelers against discrimination in every country in the world and to ensure that they, just like any other travelers, can visit places where also local people are respected regardless of their sexual orientation.” Thomas Bömkes pointed out, that the economic potential of this travel market cannot be underestimated: “Studies have shown that accepting diversity can contribute significantly to a destination’s economic success.“

LGBT tourism has been represented at ITB Berlin since the Nineties. As a result of ITB Berlin’s CSR policy which promotes diversity and defends human rights in tourism and due to the keen interest expressed by exhibitors and visitors, Gay & Lesbian Travel was officially declared a segment in its own right at ITB Berlin 2010. Openness, creativity and lively interaction are the dominant features of this segment that has become one of the most wide-ranging at ITB Berlin. The LGBT Travel Pavilion currently boasts the world’s largest display of products for the gay and lesbian travel market of any trade show in the world.

Travel News | eTurboNews

National Research Council in Canada wants to improve air passenger experience

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From visiting friends and family to getting goods to market, Canadians, tourists, and businesses rely on a safe, secure aviation system. While safety is everyone’s top priority in air travel, the air travel experience is arguably a passenger’s next biggest concern. Air travelers and crew want a safe and pleasant flight experience, and so do air carriers. By providing a positive passenger experience through well-designed, research-vetted cabin systems and products that complement human behavior, companies can ensure safer, smoother operations while earning and maintaining customer loyalty.

To understand how people interact with the controlled air travel environment, a National Research Council of Canada(NRC) multidisciplinary team is studying human responses to the cabin environment and the impact of new design concepts and emerging technologies on air travelers and crew.

The NRC is in the third year of a five-year research collaboration with the Research & Technology team at Airbus Americas Engineering to improve the air passenger experience by studying and demonstrating the human impact of technology innovations. The research team is using the new NRC Centre for Air Travel Research and real people in simulated tests to evaluate and analyze innovative disruptive concepts, cabin air quality and environmental control systems, passenger comfort, and issues associated with boarding and exiting aircraft.

After carefully analyzing the data gathered during these comprehensive tests, researchers will be able to identify low-cost, high-return changes that can be applied early in the aircraft design process to the benefit of Airbus and its industry customers, affording them the opportunity to make evidence-based decisions that balance the safety and comfort of air passengers and crew with manufacturing and operational costs for next generation aircraft.

This research collaboration is due in part to Airbus’ Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) obligation associated with Canada’s Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) program. Canada’s ITB Policy ensures that prime contractors provide business activities in Canada equal to the contract value. The FWSAR program is supporting approximately 2.5 billion CAD in ITB activities within the Canadian economy.

  • The multi-disciplinary team in the National Research Council of Canada’s Centre for Air Travel Research includes a variety of expertise— specialists in physiology, psychology, industrial design, engineering, instrumentation, fabrication, and project management— that allows the team to fully explore the impact of new aircraft design concepts and emerging technologies on air travelers and crew.
  • The Centre for Air Travel Research has five laboratories and can facilitate the study of security screening systems, airport navigation tools, virtual reality devices to address flight anxiety, and the specific needs of communities such as seniors or persons with disabilities.
  • In addition to offering a realistic re-creation of an airport terminal, the Centre for Air Travel Research also boasts the Flexible Cabin Laboratory, complete with an A320 aircraft cabin that allows for the study of passenger flight experience, human vibration, and more.

Travel News | eTurboNews

IGLTA Foundation adds industry leaders from Google & Airbnb to its Board

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The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Foundation announced today that Dougal Mckenzie, Head of Industry, Travel, at Google, and Maria Cuba, Global Diversity Lead for Airbnb’s Experiences platform have been appointed to its board of directors. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of IGLTA.

Mckenzie, who holds both law and commerce degrees from his native Auckland, helps companies adapt to changes in consumer behavior resulting from tech advancements. Cuba is one of Airbnb’s earliest employees and the founder of their Latino Employee Group “Juntos.” Her role focuses on creating equitable opportunities and representation for all communities.

“We are honored to welcome these two dynamic additions to our Foundation board,” said IGLTAF Board Chair Reginald Charlot. “Dougal Mckenzie, a leader in advancing travel technology, and Maria Cuba, a champion for diversity in the global marketplace, will bring valuable insights to the table as we focus on our mission: education, research and leadership development to create a more welcoming travel landscape worldwide.”

The new appointees begin their tenure at the board meeting prior to IGLTA’s 36th Annual Global Convention in New York City, 24-27 April. (igltaconvention.org) The current IGLTAF board members are: Reginald Charlot, NYC & Company, Chair; Pamela Herr, Aspen Gay Ski Week, Vice Chair; Tanya Churchmuch, MuchPR, Secretary; Don Richardson, Brand USA, Treasurer; Theresa Belpulsi, Destination DC; Selisse Berry, Founder of Out & Equal; Eddie Canaday, Visit Salt Lake; Rika Jean-François, ITB Berlin; Tom Kiely, Visit West Hollywood; Jim McMichael, Las Vegas CVA; Gary Murakami, MGM Resorts International, Immediate Past Chair; Tom Nichols, Arcus Foundation; Scott Seed, Hospitality Brand Marketing Professional; Carmen Strong, Disney Destinations; and John Tanzella, IGLTA.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Seychelles eco-friendly efforts put forward to the German press during Seychelles delegation press conference organized during ITB

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Seychelles eco-friendly efforts put forward to the German press during Seychelles delegation press conference organized during ITB

Environment conservation efforts being made by Seychelles, and how tourists can join in the initiatives, were the focus points of a press conference organized by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) during the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) fair that took place in Berlin, Germany.

Held as part of the STB’s participation activities at the 53rd edition of travel trade show, the press conference took place on March 6, 2019 at the Funkturm Restaurant within the ITB fair grounds and saw the participation of over 52 journalists from different German media houses.

Seychelles’ Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley, and STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, headed the press conference.

The Seychelles Delegation was honored by the two representatives of Seychelles in Germany in the presence of Mr. Max Hunzinger Honorary General Consul Hessen – Baden-Württemberg – Bayern – Sachsen – Sachsen-Anhalt – Thüringen and Dr Vladi Farhad Honorary Consul for – Hamburg – Bremen – Niedersachsen.

Mrs. Francis stated that recent development on the international front, made the destination’s participation at the ITB an opportune moment to give more detailed information in term of progress and accomplishments made in those fields as well as the implications of these initiatives to Seychelles.

“As a nation and a tourism destination, we are committed to environment protection, as the marketing wing of the Seychelles Tourism, STB has tied this commitment to its objectives to ensure that we maintain our pristine environment and be able to protect our ocean as well,” said Minister Didier Dogley.

During the press conference, media partners present learnt more about the Spatial Marine Conservation Plan, where Seychelles has committed to up to 30 percent of its waters to marine protection. The minister explained that a comprehensive marine spatial plan has been developed to ensure the long-term protection of marine species and their habitats.

The session also saw the participation of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation (SSTF) represented by Diana Körner, as the Pristine Seychelles campaign launched in 2018 was highlighted as one of the current significant sustainable initiative.

The Pristine Seychelles campaign is a call to all tourism stakeholders to promote the three pillars of sustainability, which are environment, Creole culture and local economy amongst tourists and locals.

“Through the various eco-friendly campaigns happening in Seychelles, we want to create awareness among our visitors on nature conservancy and sustainable tourism efforts being made by the country and encouraging them to join in and match our effort,” said Mrs. Francis.

The Aldabra Clean-Up Project was also underlined, informing the audience about the current presence of 12 volunteers on the island collecting ocean debris from the beaches of the UNESCO world heritage site, home to the endemic giant Aldabra tortoises and the nesting place for green turtles.

Several other local initiatives were also brought forward, namely the current ban regarding the importation and use of Styrofoam lunch boxes and plastic bags, plates, cups and cutlery, which was followed by a ban on the importation of plastic straws. In addition to the regular beach clean-ups organized by various to deal with plastic being washed up on beaches of the country.

The press conference was also a great platform for the STB Chief Executive to talk about the current numbers pertaining to visitor’s arrival. Germany remains the leading market with 17,354 visitors since January 2019.

“Germany is one of our healthiest and fastest growing market so far. It has been growing exponentially over the past few years and I believe that with the strong support that we have from the trade there, our office together with the various airlines connecting Germany to Seychelles, we will keep seeing the good performance,” said STB Director for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Ms. Edith Hunzinger.

Germany, along with the German speaking territories, is one of the markets that is well connected to Seychelles.

The journalists also had the opportunity to meet “tête-a- tête” with the minister, STB Chief Executive and STB Directors present. The meeting was followed by a lunch with a touch of Seychelles cuisine.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett to address delegates at ITB Berlin

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett departs the island today to participate in the International Tourism Bourse (ITB), in Berlin, Germany, where he has been invited to be a guest speaker at the ‘International Seminar on Global Tourism’s Trends and Challenges.’

The event is organized by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), a professional organisation of travel writers which was founded in 1998. The International Seminar on Global Trends and Challenges is an annual signature event.

The seminar will feature key stakeholders and global leaders in tourism such as the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili; Mr. Geoffrey Lipman, President of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners; and Mr. Alain St. Ange, Deputy Secretary-General of the Forum of Small Medium Economic AFRICA ASEAN, among others.

“It is an honour for Jamaica to once again participate in this very important tradeshow. I am looking forward to engaging tourism stakeholders and investors to share best practices, and forge solutions to create a more resilient industry,” said the Minister.

ITB Berlin is the largest tourism tradeshow in the world – the foremost business platform for global touristic offers and a prime marketplace and driving force behind the international tourism industry.

The event highlights hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, airlines among others related to the travel industry. ITB is also the ideal forum for establishing new customer contacts and conducting business.

ITB this year will feature a Jamaica Night event on March 7 which will highlight the county’s attractions, food and culture.

“Jamaica Night is a great marketing opportunity for us in Germany. Last year we welcomed over 34,000 stop-over visitors from that country, which is a 14.7% increase over the same period in 2017,” said the Minister.

He also noted that during the last ITB, Berlin event, Eurowings officials announced their once weekly scheduled nonstop flights between the German city of Munich and Montego Bay, which began last summer.

“The new Eurowings route has been a welcomed addition to our industry, as Munich is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe with a population of a population of 13 million. We have already seen an increase since and hope to further strengthen our marketing efforts to see an even greater increase,” he said.

The Minister is joined by Director of Tourism, Donovan White and the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Events Manager, Lorna Robinson. Minister Bartlett will return to the island on March 9, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT: Alyssa Taffe, Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Tourism, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: (876) 920-4926-30, Mobile: (876) 441-5055, Fax: (876) 906 1729

Seychelles to take over Berlin in a tropical storm as strong tourism delegation hits ITB in March

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Destination Seychelles will have a strong presence in the German capital, Berlin, as a 42 strong member delegation gets ready to attend the 53rd edition of Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) travel trade show, which will take place from March 6, 2019 to March 10, 2019.

Staged annually in Berlin, the ITB is the one of the world’s leading travel show and is a-must attend business-to-business event; providing a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to Germany and international travel professionals.

The show provides a unique opportunity for the entire global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.

Destination Seychelles be featured alongside over 180 countries and some 10,000 companies and organisations, all fitted in 26 halls in the biggest marketplace of the international travel industry.

The exotic and breath-taking paradise of Seychelles will have its own destination stand covering a space of 180sqm from which the delegation will be actively selling the charms of the destination during the four days of the fair.

The Seychelles delegation will be headed by the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley, who will be accompanied by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, and will comprise of representatives from hotels, airlines and DMCs in Seychelles.

The marketing wing of the Seychelles destination will be further represented by the presence at the Seychelles Stand of the Regional STB Director for Europe, Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, and the Director for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Ms. Edith Hunzinger. Marketing Executive, Ms. Winnie Elisa and Senior E-Marketing Executive Randy Rosalie from headquarters will assist them all well equipped to sell the destination as one everyone deserves to tick off their personal bucket list.

In anticipation of Seychelles’ presence once again in Berlin STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned the importance of the destination’s attendance adding on to the visibility of the destination.

“Seychelles presence in ITB is irrefutably some valuable exposure for the destination. Our selling tactic by attending major trade fairs as a tourism board is to make our destination as tangible as possible.

We are look forward to marketing Seychelles means selling the destination ‘sea-sun-sand’ alongside our other features like our creole culture and hospitality. Our presence in major trade fairs adds on to the value of the experience and our partners”, said Mrs. Francis.

Thousands of senior travel industry professionals, Government Ministers, and international press visit ITB each year in March to network negotiate and discover latest trends and industry opinions.

Representatives of hotels include Mr. Fabrice Collot and Ms. Patricia de Mayer from Banyan Tree Seychelles, Ms. Wendy Tan of Berjaya Hotels Seychelles, Mrs. Foram Varsani from Cerf Island Resort and Ms. Ekaterina Gritsenko of Coral Strand Hotel and Savoy Seychelles Resort and Spa.

Other tourism establishment representatives are Mr. Ash Behari from Coco De Mer Hotel & Black Parrot Suites, Mr. Alan Mason representing both Denis Private Island and Carana Beach & Indian Ocean Lodge, Mr. Manuel Policarpo and Ms. Rui Oliveira of Eden Bleu Hotel, as well as Mr. Anthony Smith, Mr. Andre Borg and Mr. Daniele Fabbri of Hilton Seychelles.

Representing Kempinski Seychelles Resort & Spa will be Ms. Agata Sobczak and Mr. Masami Egami. Le Duc de Praslin and Valmer Resort will have a presence at the fair through Mr. Derek Savy and Mr. Robert Payet. Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove will be represented by Mr. Marc Wozniak and Mrs. Jenny Seraphine.

Other hotel representatives are Ms. Devi Sumayna Budhoo of Le Relax Management, Mr. Ferruccio Tirone and Ms. Samia Sedgwick of Maia Luxury Resorts & Spa and Paradise Sun, Mr. Eddie D’Offay of Pure Seychelles Hotels, Ms. Ernestina Bertarini and Ms. Sylvia Fletcher  of Raffles Seychelles and Mr. Sherif El Mansoury from the H Resort Beau Vallon Beach Seychelles.

Mr. Konrad Tarasiewicz from Coco Charter, and Mrs. Lucie Barone and Mr. Jonathan Loeffel will be representing VPM Yacht Charter Seychelles as DMCs.

DMCs also include Mrs. Anna Butler Payette and Ms. Dorina Cedras of 7° South, Mr. Lenny Alvis and Mrs. Elza Frichot Dahoo from Mason’s Travel as well as Mr. Guillaume Albert, Mr. Eric Renard, Mr. Philippe Cornaille, Ms. Amanda Lang and Ms. Luisa Mehl from Creole Travel Services.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel